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25 Jun 2007 : Column 359W—continued


25 Jun 2007 : Column 360W

Terrorism: Greater London

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice whether the Government is reviewing the cap placed on the level of compensation which victims of the 7/7 bombing may gain from public funds; and if she will make a statement. [145448]

Mr. Sutcliffe: Victims of the 7/7 bombings and other terrorist incidents in Great Britain are eligible for compensation under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme on the same basis as other blameless victims of other violent crime in Great Britain.

In its Green Paper “Rebuilding Lives: supporting victims of crime”, the Government sought views on a range of proposals for reforming the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. One of the questions on which views were sought was whether the maximum award limit of £500,000 should be increased.

Reform of the Scheme is a complex matter. We are considering the issue carefully and will make an announcement in due course.

Young Offenders

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what the purpose was of the visit undertaken by (a) the governor of HM Young Offender Institution Feltham and (b) the Deputy Head of Women and Young People’s Directorate to Australia in November 2005; and if she will make a statement. [139567]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The information is as follows:

Written Answers to Questions

Monday 25 June 2007

Treasury

11 Downing Street: Charities

Mr. David Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which of the charities other than the Smith Institute which have organised events at No. 11 Downing Street since 1997 has used it most frequently. [144012]

John Healey [holding answer 19 June 2007]: Many charities have used No. 11 on multiple occasions. Any charities who use or want to use 11 Downing Street can apply for more extended access if this is their wish and subject to availability.

Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) value, (b) date and (c) purpose was of each payment made by (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies to Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO in each year since 1997. [144542]

John Healey: The Treasury has no record of having made any payments to Abbott Mead Vickers since 2002-03, when a new accounting system was introduced. Information prior to that date could be provided only at disproportionate cost. None of the Department’s agencies has any record of payments having been made since 1997.

Accommodation Rule

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revenue was received from the available accommodation rule in the last full year before its abolition; and what estimate he has made of revenue which would have been received if the rule had applied in 2006-07. [145040]


25 Jun 2007 : Column 362W

Dawn Primarolo: The estimated revenue was published in the Financial Statement and Budget Report 1993, in table 4.1—Direct effects of Budget measures. No more current estimates are available.

Aggregates Levy: Wind Power

Stephen Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much aggregates levy was raised from the construction of wind farms in the latest year for which figures are available. [145885]

John Healey: This information is not available; as revenue from this source is not separately identified in aggregates levy returns.

Al-Yamamah Project

Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which aspects of the financial arrangements relating to the Al-Yamamah defence contract fell to be approved by his Department since May 1997; and if he will make a statement. [144254]

Mr. Timms: The Treasury’s involvement was concerned with the accounting and budgeting arrangements for the management fee received by the Ministry of Defence from the Saudi Arabian Government. The fee covers the costs of the UK Government’s involvement in the Al-Yamamah programme. The Treasury reviews such arrangements to ensure that they are in accordance with the principles of Government Accounting.

Birth Rate

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many live births there were in each English region in each year since 1997. [144287]

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 25 June 2007:


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Live Births by Government Office Region( 1) in England 1997 to 2006
Government Office Region 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

North East

29,404

28,720

27,739

26,499

25,949

26,271

27,005

27,815

28,249

29,184

North West

82,934

81,179

79,065

76,675

75,201

74,641

77,847

81,164

81,722

84,155

Yorkshire and Humber

60,400

59,683

58,212

55,966

55,625

55,535

57,923

60,193

60,665

62,953

East Midlands

48,518

48,339

47,035

45,787

44,642

45,039

46,916

48,245

49,080

50,717

West Midlands

66,695

65,035

63,466

61,497

60,818

61,035

63,694

65,911

65,956

67,688

Eastern

64,788

64,386

62,685

61,186

60,090

60,171

62,711

64,250

64,687

66,864

London

105,587

105,304

105,545

104,695

104,162

105,603

110,437

113,679

116,019

120,883

South East

95,399

95,642

93,646

90,445

88,510

88,082

91,842

93,634

93,921

98,529

South West

54,477

53,823

52,075

50,076

48,747

49,332

51,476

52,293

52,729

54,706

Total England

608,202

602,111

589,468

572,826

563,744

565,709

589,851

607,184

613,028

635,679

(1) Births are assigned to Government Office Region according to the usual residence of the mother at the date of the birth, as stated at registration.
The table excludes a small number of live births occurring in England each year to mothers whose usual residence was outside England and Wales.
Source:
Key Population and Vital Statistics, Series VS nos. 23-32. 2006 data from Table 5 at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=14408 .

British Corps

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 5 June 2007, Official Report, column 462W, on the British Corps, whether the Chancellor's announcement on the British Corps referred to the work of the Russell Commission and charity V. [144520]

Dawn Primarolo: Yes. On 31 January 2005, the Chancellor gave a speech at the HM Treasury Volunteering Conference, referring to consideration of a new British corps, which trailed the expected outcomes of the Russell Commission report on youth action and engagement. The Russell Commission reported in March 2005 and the Government endorsed the recommendations in Budget 2005. V was established in May 2006 to take forward the recommendations.

Capital Gains Tax

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the net effect on annual Treasury revenues of abolishing taper relief for capital gains tax. [144567]

Dawn Primarolo: Estimates of the cost of capital gains tax taper relief for individuals and trusts for 2005-06 and 2006-07 on an accruals basis were published in Table A3.1 of the Budget Report 2007. The figures exclude any behavioural change caused by the abolition of taper relief.

Cash Dispensing: Fees and Charges

Mr. David Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer at which locations in Wales free-of-charge ATMs are (a) installed and (b) yet to be installed under the free cash machines in low-income areas scheme. [145496]

Ed Balls: As I announced on 19 June, excellent progress has been made towards the goal of providing over 600 new free ATMs across 1,707 low-income target areas identified by the ATM working group as lacking convenient access. I am pleased to say that of the 198 low-income target areas in Wales, 95 are now expected to benefit from convenient access to free cash withdrawals as a result of free new cash machines already in operation or under contract to be installed. I have made available specific details about the location of new free ATMs installed and outstanding target areas still requiring free ATMs in Wales in the Library of the House.

Cash Dispensing: North East Region

Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his working group has taken on the super output areas identified by the Treasury Committee as not having access to free cash machines in Newcastle East and Wallsend. [145071]

Ed Balls: As I announced on 19 June, the industry has made excellent progress towards the goal of providing over 600 new free ATMs across 1,707 target areas identified by the ATM working group as lacking convenient access. I am pleased to say that two new machines are now under contract for installation in East Newcastle and Wallsend. These are expected to provide all the super output areas within East Newcastle and Wallsend with convenient access to free cash withdrawals. I will be writing to my right hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East and Wallsend shortly with further details about the new machines.


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